"I really don't know what Brendan said. I only know we have two games and we have to win the game against Aston Villa," Pelligrini said. "At the end of the week we will see which team has more points."

Pellegrini even claimed he did not watch Liverpool's dramatic late capitulation against Palace, when they conceded three times in the last 11 minutes.

When asked about the result, he said: "I feel it is just one result more in the Premier League. In the Premier League it is very difficult to win the games. You cannot be sure you are winning until the end, until the last minute."

Pellegrini sees the performance of Palace, who had already achieved their aim of avoiding relegation, as proof that there can be no room for complacency against Villa. Paul Lambert's side are also now guaranteed to be in the top flight next season.

"Maybe Crystal Palace didn't have anything to fight for but they were a very strong team and I am sure Aston Villa will be a very strong team for us," said Pellegrini, whose side lost at Villa Park in September.

But Pellegrini does accept that Liverpool's latest slip, a week after they were beaten by Chelsea, could provide his players with extra motivation.

"When Liverpool lost against Chelsea, of course there was a reaction in the team," he said. "Now they have a lot of trust in what we can do, also with a lot of responsibility. But I repeat, in the Premier League nobody knows who can win the game.

"We will try to do our best and the players are conscious that we depend just on these two games."

City set for £50m fine and Europe blow

Manchester City are facing a reported £50 million fine and will have their Champions League squad restricted to 21 players next season after rejecting proposed sanctions relating to a breach of UEFA's Financial Fair Play regulations.